A chilling trend that will transform our lives, businesses and society in general is the fact that we are all getting older. We now live in an ageing society.

The developed world is getting older fast. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics,
the proportion of people aged 85 years and over is projected to increase from 1.6 per cent in 2007 to between as much as 7.3 per cent. At the same time, there will be a reduction in the number of 15-64 year olds will decline from 67 per cent to about 58 per cent. The bottom line is that there will be fewer working age people. Fertility rates are low everywhere. China, which is about one-fifth of the world's population, is likely by 2020 to become the first country that got old before it got rich. This is going to transform society in every way, from health care to work places to families. What should we be watching out for?

Reading and watching what’s been going on with Tiger Woods has led me to ask just one question: why did he do it? Not why did he cheat on his wife. Unfortunately, that sort of thing happens all the time. But how could he think he wouldn’t get caught? Particularly in this day and age when you are just a blog or a tweet away from being exposed. How could anyone be so stupid? Or does lust do that to the brain?

All of which has had me wondering whether men and women are just wired up differently. And if that’s the case, are men not as bright as women, or at least more inclined to acts of recklessness, like Tiger Woods, or worse? But then, if that’s right, why are men so dominant in business and politics? As business columnist Adele Ferguson points out, women are still under-represented on boards, they’re still relatively underpaid compared with men in similar positions and noticeably absent from senior management jobs. Women in Australia occupy fewer than 10 per cent of board seats and more than half the ASX 200 have no female directors. So why is that happening when females do better at school and generate more university graduates?

With all the world focusing on Copenhagen, it’s worth considering how climate change will affect not only society but business. How will it change companies? What are the risks? Will it destroy business? What new opportunities does it present?

A few weeks ago, I did a blog entry looking at how climate change would transform lifestyles, and whether people were prepared to make any changes. An equally as vital question is how climate change will affect the business landscape. And with that comes jobs and entrepreneurial activity. Is climate change a risk or is it an opportunity?

It’s that time of year again when companies throw the Christmas party, the event that can make or break careers.

Last year, many companies were scrapping them or scaling them back with everyone expecting Australia to slip into recession. But this year, with the economy in relatively better shape than elsewhere, it’s going to be different. There are more parties, whether we like it or not. So how will that be?

Let’s talk about our dependency and addiction to technology. It’s happened to all of us. The computer goes down, your mobile phone doesn’t work or maybe it gets lost, and suddenly you are completely helpless. You feel isolated, shut off from the world, in a tiny bubble.

Our dependency on technology is one of the most striking things about our lives today. People seem to check email at the first opportunity, they make sure their mobile phone is right there beside them, charged and ready to go. Indeed, many of us would feel it’s hard to get through the day without mobile phones and computers. What did we do when we didn’t have them? Dependency on technology is reshaping our lives, behaviour and in some cases, our well-being. The phenomenon of internet addiction, something I blogged about here is only one example. Technology dependency has been identified as a serious issue. Where’s the off-switch?

Next year will be fascinating for trends as the world emerges from the GFC ever so slowly.

The one to watch is what happens with retailers and consumer behaviour. Interesting patterns are already emerging, some of which are quite unexpected. Take for example the latest weird buying trend: Go Go Pets. Go figure!! So what else can we expect?

In the downturn, one of the common complaints I keep hearing from people is the way their bosses are cutting perks. From little things like free coffee and biscuits, to larger items like subsidising mobile phones or cheap food at the cafeteria. Christmas parties have also been either cut back or shelved.

In many instances, this is penny pinching, although I know of companies where the margins are so thin and the cash flow so poor that they don’t have much choice. Still, the challenge for staff is staying motivated when perks go. And the challenge for management is working out which perks to chop.

The ascension of Tony Abbott to the Liberal helm raises questions about leadership and what it takes to land the top job. Certainly, Tony Abbott is a case in point. The great imponderable is whether he has what it takes to rebuild the party and make it successful. Some would say not. Writing in the Australian Financial Review this week, the vice chancellor of the Australian Catholic University Greg Craven put it bluntly: “The only question left, assuming that Turnbull is either knifed or slits his own wrists, is who will get to take the three legged dog that is now the Liberal Party down the road for a last walk to the vet come the next election."

But is that right? Does Tony Abbott have the leadership skills to turn it around? And what leadership lessons can we draw from this episode?

Leon Gettler is a contributor to The Age, specialising on management issues. His interests include business ethics, corporate governance and the intricacies of the US Sarbanes-Oxley ruling. He is the author of two books, including Organisations Behaving Badly: A Greek tragedy of corporate pathology, which focuses on the forces that lead smart executives to make dumb decisions.

Comments Terms & Conditions

When posting comments on our blogs, you agree to be bound by our terms and conditions.
Comments that are offensive, defamatory, unsuitable or that breach any aspects of the terms and conditions will be deleted.

Latest Comments

Many Generations Australian on Republic debate:
This system was designed to keep the Australian people under the thumb.The two major parties will do anything it ta… more

SherryDIXON33 on Job interview lies:
My biggest job interview lie was when I lied about my name. I am Sherry but I used the name of a colleague Elizabet… more